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The Contribution of Transportation and Land Use to Citizen Perceptions of Livability in Oregon MPOs

Livability is a key focus of integrating transportation and land use planning throughout the United States, and the world. Livability is a concept that has been guiding United States Department of Transportation (USDOT) policy since 2009, focusing on six principles including: providing transportation choices, expanding housing location, improving economic competitiveness, improving existing communities, aligning federal policy, and enhancing unique characteristics of communities. (USDOT, n.d.) In Oregon, the state’s long range transportation plan (Oregon Transportation Plan) identifies “enhancing livability” as a key outcome. Efficiency and livability are cornerstones of Oregon’s Statewide Planning Program, which relies on Urban Growth Boundaries to increase land use efficiency while conserving farm and forestland. But, as researchers astutely summarized in a 1991 report, “livability is difficult to define, and once defined, to measure.” (ECONorthwest, 1991) While many government agencies at the federal and state level promote livability, little has been done to track and measure it. Oregon has established a policy framework in which land use and transportation decisions are integrated and sets goals for increasing land use efficiency and livability. Government and academic research, however, has not tackled citizen perceptions of how these planning efforts contribute to livability. We seek to fill this research need by exploring the question “how do citizens understand the connection between transportation and land use planning, and its association with livability?” The goal of this applied research project is to gain an understanding of how Oregonians in neighborhoods (as defined by Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) Place Types) within metropolitan planning organizations (MPOs) outside of the Portland Metropolitan region perceive livability at the individual, neighborhood and city scale. This study will add to the body of literature on citizen perceptions of livability by focusing on smaller communities outside of Portland – areas that have mostly been overlooked in previous studies. By conducting a targeted survey within selected MPOs across the state, we will gain an understanding of citizen perceptions of livability as it relates to transportation and land use planning. A recently constructed statewide parcel database and spatial data on transportation investments will be overlaid with survey responses compare citizen perceptions to existing neighborhoods. This information will provide valuable insight into how cities and state agencies justify investments in transportation infrastructure, which have long-term benefits of creating livable communities.

  • Supplemental Notes:
    • Project completed and draft report in review

Language

  • English

Project

  • Status: Completed
  • Funding: $ $229,630.00
  • Contract Numbers:

    NITC 1050

  • Sponsor Organizations:

    Portland State University

    Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering
    P.O. Box 751
    Portland, OR  United States  97207

    University of Oregon, Eugene

    Department of Planning, Public Policy and Management, 119 Hendricks Hall
    Eugene, OR  United States  97403-1209

    Office of the Assistant Secretary for Research and Technology

    University Transportation Centers Program
    Department of Transportation
    Washington, DC  United States  20590
  • Managing Organizations:

    TREC at Portland State University

    1900 SW Fourth Ave, Suite 175
    P.O. Box 751
    Portland, Oregon  United States  97201
  • Project Managers:

    Hagedorn, Hau

  • Performing Organizations:

    Portland State University

    Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering
    P.O. Box 751
    Portland, OR  United States  97207

    University of Oregon, Eugene

    Department of Planning, Public Policy and Management, 119 Hendricks Hall
    Eugene, OR  United States  97403-1209
  • Principal Investigators:

    Lewis, Rebecca

    Parker, Robert

    Clifton, Kelly

  • Start Date: 20160801
  • Expected Completion Date: 20180331
  • Actual Completion Date: 20180402
  • USDOT Program: University Transportation Centers Program

Subject/Index Terms

Filing Info

  • Accession Number: 01607658
  • Record Type: Research project
  • Source Agency: National Institute for Transportation and Communities
  • Contract Numbers: NITC 1050
  • Files: UTC, RIP
  • Created Date: Aug 16 2016 1:17PM